Mariners poll: Pick next manager . . . if you care

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, who has one year remaining on his deal, has to pick a manager who can save Z’s job too. Vote on our choices. Feel free to add your own.

Reds pitching coach Bryan Price, who was in Seattle from 2001-06, is one of many names being floated as a potential replacement for Eric Wedge. / Wiki Commons

Speculating about the next Mariners skipper has become a rich tradition for a dwindling fan base that has seen constant managerial turnover during in the past decade. Eric Wedge’s messy resignation last week allows general manager Jack Zduriencik hire the club’s eighth manager since it traded Lou Piniella to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Randy Wynn and infielder Antonio Perez in 2002.

Alienation runs so deep that any move Zduriencik makes will be met with a mixture of derision and sarcasm. Rightly so. The organization hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001 and is one of two MLB teams never to have made the World Series. Meanwhile, former manager Bob Melvin (’03-’04) has led the low-budget Oakland Athletics to back-to-back AL West titles while the Mariners have touted a rebuilding plan that has inspired the very roster turnover plaguing the managerial spot.

Zduriencik claimed Tuesday in an interview on 710 ESPN Radio’s Bob and Groz show that he felt comfortable hiring the third manager of his Mariners tenure despite being 0-for-2 and possessing himself a one-year contract. Given his precarious job security and the way Wedge ripped the organization on his way out of town, it could be difficult for Jack Z to convince a major name (Tony La Russa?) to come to Seattle.

The search is on for the man who can save Zduriencik’s job, should he exist. Here’s our choices. Feel free to offer your own in the comments.

YourThoughts

Tian Biao

Raise Dick Williams from the dead. He’s the only Hall of Fame manager the Ms ever had. Plus he was short tempered and angry and impatient, so he would be right in tune with the fan base. And maybe a scary ghost could run chuckenhowie out of town. Makes sense, right? I mean, no living soul would want the job.

art thiel

I think Lou Piniella did a pretty good job for 10 years, and he’s a little healthier than Williams.

Will

My neighbor Bob has done a great job with a so-so Little League team. Everyone plays, parents are happy and the kids occasionally win a game. I think Bob would be terrific skipper for the M’s.

art thiel

Tell Bob to get in his application, although warn him he may be overqualified.

RadioGuy

Maybe the M’s could try for an entire season something Bill Veeck did one game when he owned the St. Louis Browns and let the fans vote (using placards, I think) on what strategy to employ. It was called “Grandstand Manager Day” and the Browns actually won, which didn’t happen very often no matter who filled out the lineup card..

BTW, Tian, I like the “Chuckenhowie” reference. Can I occasionally borrow it in the future?

art thiel

Veeck understood interactivity before that overused term was invented.

Joe Fan

I think we should make chuckie the coach. the we could fire him in July and be done with him once and for all.

art thiel

Then who would be telling Chris Hansen to rue the day?

Jamo57

It’s already a done deal. It’s has to be Little Joey Cora. Just another way to frack that spent mine that was the ’95 Ms and suck any remaining joy from our memories.

And of course there will be a bobblehead of A-Roid comforting the weeping Joey in the dugout after the end of the 95 ALCS. And perhaps a second bobblehead down the road of Rizz comforting a weeping Joey during Rick’s pregame interview with the manager.

art thiel

You’re so ahead of the curve, Jamo. Anytime a guy comes pre-bobbleheaded, he has the inside track.

Jeff Shope

I think the poll results speak loud and clear

Trygvesture

I read that Howcome? said he’d see this thing turn around before he goes to his grave. No! please! no! He can’t have said that– but he did. He promised he’d stay here, as Mr Big Cheeze Mariner, until he dies — since we, and everybody else in the universe, know he’ll never, ever “turn this thing around”. What a curse on the city, the franchise, the Game. An Edgar Allan Poe/Alfred Hitchcock/Groundhog Day nightmare. Perhaps Safeco actually IS build on somebody’s sacred grave. Either that or directly over Hell.

Guy K. Browne

If you were Lou, would you come back to Seattle? (Considering that the reason he stepped down was the front office, which hasn’t changed)

art thiel

Lou indeed knows better. But the intrigue is that he would come back only on his terms. Which means that Chowie woulfd have to accept negligible roles. Not happening.

jafabian

Why not put Dan Wilson on this list? Seems like more and more catchers are becoming managers! But really, Jack won’t see the 2015 season so just promote from within.

art thiel

Dan is too smart to want to be a manager.

jafabian

At least with the M’s.

Eddie

Hmm, Bone as Manager, Edgar as Hitting Coach and Danny as Bench Coach. No brainer!
Eddie

Ranesto

The Reds just released Dusty Baker. Maybe we can bring both Manager and pitching coach (Bryan Price) to Seattle?

dinglenuts

They should hire my brother. He’s a furloughed government employee, so not only is he currently available, he’s also accustomed to dealing with bozos in positions of power.

Trygvesture

filler, although filer might be descriptive.

maqman

Price would be a good choice, even though they passed him over before. The Reds probably have a better chance to hire him though as he’s been there for about three years. My favorite is probably Brendan Ryan, he’s going to be a damn fine manager one of these days, why wait? Terry Francona highly recommends Jason Giambi.

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